Quote-on-quote ‘weird’ books, although maybe not an official genre of literature, are some of the most immersive and substantial novels I have read. I find in a modern landscape – where it is almost impossible to have original thought and ideas are cyclical and oversaturated – I often wander into the weird to experience new and exciting ideas. Many casual readers are put off when they read a book’s blurb and are confronted with strange and off-putting, sometimes disturbing, content. However, these books are often gems of introspective thoughts and commentaries, with a lot to offer to the reader daring enough to explore them. This article lists my top favourite weird books and highlights what they have to offer. As these books often explore darker themes, trigger warnings will also be highlighted.
The Pisces by Melissa Broder
“I made myself wrong for needing someone, for revealing that need. I needed more than the universe could give me. Clearly my feelings were too big for the universe to hold, too disgusting.”
After Lucy experiences a life-shifting breakup from her long-term boyfriend, her mental health spirals. She escapes to her sister’s Los Angeles home with a mission of self-improvement. Instead, she begins a relationship with a merman she finds on the beach in the dead of night and ignores all the red flags (like the fact he is not human.)
The Pisces uses a supernatural relationship as an allegory for Lucy’s intrapersonal relationships. Dominated by her anxiety and obsessions, Lucy is a relatable lead character in a wholly unrelatable position, and yet this may be the most relatable book I have ever read. It’s a real and cathartic journey of learning not to abhor yourself, with a sexy merman thrown in for fun. One of the lighter ones on this list, it’s an entry point to the weird
Trigger warnings: Animal cruelty, mental illness, sexual content.
Chouette by Claire Oshetsky
“The birds are telling me that my life’s work, as your mother, will be to teach you how to be yourself- and to honor however much of the wild world you have in you, owl-baby…”
Chouette explores a family after the birth of their first child, who is born with an unknown condition causing physical deformity. Her mother Tiny, however, believes she is an owl-baby, born different, but perfect. Tiny is intent on keeping Chouette away from anyone who wishes to subject her to traditional human medical responses and instead wants to raise her and free her to her true nature.
Chouette is emblematic of what I imagine motherhood to be –terrifying and desperate. A mother’s instinct to protect and raise her child is stretched to the max until the prose resembles a horror movie. The weird is utilised to express a mother’s anguish and torment at knowing her child will never fit in with the rest of humanity. This creates an upsetting, but also cathartic view into a mother’s experience raising her child against all odds.
Trigger warnings: graphic content, emotional abuse, animal abuse, ablism, mental health.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang (Translated by Deborah Smith)
“Look, sister, I’m doing a handstand; leaves are growing out of my body, roots are sprouting out of my hands…they delve down into the earth. Endlessly, endlessly…”
Yeong-hye is a traditional wife from a traditional family, living a traditional life. Until one day she wakes up and decides she is a tree. This begins her descent into the inhuman, slowly becoming ostracised from her family and society, and scandalising herself without a care.
Highlighting the importance of food and diet within culture, The Vegetarian is a kafka-esque exploration of a woman’s position in society. The novella traverses through themes such as body image, toxic familial relationships, and mental illness whilst invoking magical realism images to create an uncomfortable experience. This one isn’t for everyone, and I don’t even think was fully for me, but the amount that it achieves in such a short page count deserves its dues.
Trigger warnings: Eating disorders, sexual violence, mental illness.
The Doloriad by Missouri Williams
“…and one day the rain would wash them away entirely, the sounds of the dead city and her memories of them, and then the Matriarch would finally be free of it—the past and its language.”
In a post-apocalyptic society, one woman makes it her mission to save (and repopulate) the Earth. The result is, several generations later, a twisted society where humanity is barely detectable. After the Matriarch has a prophetic dream of other human life nearby, their colony begins to break down into animalistic depravity. The siblings turn on each other, turn on their Matriarch, and their small society deteriorates into chaos.
This modern Greek tragedy highlights the worst of human ability. The graphic, violent and disturbing prose creates a toxic environment fitting the post-apocalyptic dystopia. This probably takes the prize as the most disturbing book I have ever read, and I would not call the experience remotely enjoyable. However, the novel offers a glimpse into the possibilities of life on earth where society has completely collapsed and employs masterful writing techniques to create a thick, suffocating atmosphere throughout the novel. The weird is employed in this story to create a truly horrifying tale that is not for the faint of heart.
Trigger warnings: Extreme violence, sexual assault, inappropriate relationships.
If you’re also bored of the same formulaic books in the over-saturated market, I hope this list offers you some confidence in exploring stranger, more unusual books to broaden your worldview!